The 𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀 settled in 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮, an area of Southern 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻,

 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝗰𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀 (𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮/𝗦𝗮𝗸𝘇𝗮𝗶 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘁𝘂𝗻𝘀) 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻/𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻

𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻.

𝐵𝑦 𝑎 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒

History blog about Sakas Pashtuns.

The 𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀 settled in 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮, an area of Southern 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻, western 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 and south 𝗈𝖿𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻, which was then called after them as 𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 or 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻. From there, they progressivelyexpanded into present day 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻 as well as 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮, where they established variouskingdoms, and where they are known as "𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮".

The mixed 𝗦𝗰𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀 that migrated to Drangiana and surrounding regions later spreadfurther into north and south-west 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 via the lower 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆. Their migration spread into𝗦𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗮, 𝗚𝘂𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁, 𝗥𝗮𝗷𝗮𝗱𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 and northern India, including kingdoms in the 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 mainland.

The Arsacid emperor 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗜 (c. 123–88/87 BCE) claimed many successes in battle andadded many provinces to the 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 apparently the Scythian hordes that came from 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮 were conquered by him.

Following military pressure from the Yuezhi (precursors of the Kushana), a section of the Indo-Scythians moved from Bactria to Lake Helmond (𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳) (or Hāmūn), and settled in or around 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮(Sigal), a region which later came to be called "𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮 of the Skythian Sakai  [sic]", towards the end of 1st century BC.

The region is still known as𝗦𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻. The presence of the 𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀 in Sakastan in the 1st century BC is mentioned by Isidore ofCharax in his "Parthian stations". 

He explained that they were bordered at that time by Greekcities to the east (Alexandria of the Caucasus and Alexandria of the Arachosians), and theParthian-controlled territory of 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗮 to the south:"Beyond is 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮 of the 𝗦𝗰𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗲, which is also Paraetacena, 63 schoeni. There arethe city of 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮 and the city of 𝗠𝗶𝗻 and the city of 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶 and the city of 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗹; in that placeis the royal residence of the 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗲; and nearby is the city of 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗮 (Alexandria Arachosia),and six villages." Parthian stations. 

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

Facenna, "Sculptures from the sacred area of Butkara I", plate CCCLXXI. The relief is this one, showing

Indo-Scythians dancing and reveling, with on the back side a relief of a standing Buddha (not shown).

Epigraphia Indiaca XIV, p 291 S Konow; Greeks in Bactria and India, p 473, fn, W. W. Tarn; Yuan Chwang I,

pp 259–60, Watters; Comprehensive History of India, Vol I, p 189, N. K. Sastri; History and Culture of

Indian People, The Age of Imperial Unity, 122; History and Culture of Indian People, Classical Age, p 617,

R. C. Majumdar, A. D. Pusalkar.